Paper Time: Step-by-step Instructions to Draw Unicorns With Wings

Welcome to the world of unicorns, if you're awe with these mythical creatures that resemble a horse. This article gives you instructions to draw a unicorn with wings - a realistic and an animated one! Gather your stuff, and start immediately!

ArtHearty Staff

Last Updated: May 7, 2018

Quick tips

Avoid excessive use of an eraser, using your hand to remove the dirt from the eraser may lead to smudge marks; use a brush instead.

Periodically wash your hands so that lead marks on your hand do not deposit on the paper.

If you wish to avoid smudges after completion of the drawing, use 'fixatives;' however, they are toxic in nature, and it might slightly change the look of your drawing.

Unicorns are mythical characters, that look similar to a horse, and have one large horn projecting from its head. Unicorns are a part of many mythological stories, fictional movies, etc. It was believed that only a virgin can tame it. There have been also excerpts written of sighting a real unicorn. They're mostly known as noble creatures. The unicorn in Harry Potter has silver-colored blood and possess magical powers that can save the life of a person. A unicorn symbolizes truth, purity and beauty.

Pegasus, the winged horse in Greek mythology, looks similar to a unicorn, and you can follow the same instructions to draw a Pegasus (sans the horn).

Either way, for an artist, they are a sheer delight to draw, given their horse-like resemblance. So, if you love these horse-like-creatures, follow these basic steps to get an endearing look of a unicorn.

To sketch a realistic unicorn is quite similar to sketching or drawing a horse. Given the beautiful flowing mane annexed with intricate detailing of the wings, drawing it can be really a test of patience.

Steps to Draw a Realistic Unicorn

STEP 1

► Grab everything you need and start by drawing the basic layout/structure in of the unicorn. Make sure that you draw the ovals in light strokes so that it is easy to erase them later. Along with the lines, draw the structure of the head, ears, chest, tail, horn, and legs.

STEP 2

► Start by detailing the upper portion of the unicorn. The eyes can make a drawing look real, so take special care and attention while drawing eyes. Position them appropriately, and add shading beneath the eye to make it look real. Observe the strokes on the mane, the more details you add, more realistic it will look. Once you draw the mane covering the ears, and add shading to its face, the sketch will start appearing livelier and more realistic. Draw stripes on the horn.

STEP 3

► Time to concentrate on the wings! Wings are the most beautiful part of this drawing. Add delicate detailing for the overlapping feathers. Draw feathers of different sizes, and add strokes or dashes to lend a natural look to the feathers.

STEP 4

► Start highlighting the body by darkening the lines around the legs, stomach, and chest. A reiteration, observe the shading strokes, and attempt to emulate them.

STEP 5

► Continue the detailing and erase out the unnecessary lines. Highlight and darken wherever necessary, and add shading to the elbow and knee joints, the belly and heels.

STEP 6

► Add the finishing touch in this last step. Add details to the tail, and show flowing strands of hair, since the sketch depicts the unicorn in action. Darken the lines wherever necessary.

Steps to Draw a Unicorn Cartoon

STEP 1

► Draw circles and ovals representing the basic layout/structure of the unicorn. This will make the succeeding steps much easier.

STEP 2

► Connect the ovals, and draw the thighs, wings, face, tail, and legs as shown in the above image. Draw the outline of the feathers for the wings.

STEP 3

► Finish the basic structure by drawing the horn and adding curves to the mane.

STEP 4

► Highlight the outline, and erase the unnecessary lines.

STEP 5

► As mentioned earlier, the eyes should add appeal and cuteness of the cartoon. Draw circular eyes, with a dash of pretty lashes to make them look beautiful. Draw wings of the unicorn, and make oval circles of varying lengths for the feathers.

STEP 6

► Color the picture in cute pastel colors such as light blue, baby pink, or pastel green. Or you can simply color the mane and the wings. While coloring, observe the shading on various parts and try to emulate it. The medium of the colors can be of your choice. You can highlight the outline using a marker or sketch pen.

Note : For a unicorn with rainbows, you can show a rainbow, or color its wings in rainbow colors.

Though they are mythical, these noble creatures make excellent art subjects, given their beautiful wings and structure. For darker shading, you can use a pencil with softer leads such as 4B or 6B. If you're confident of using charcoal, you can use that medium instead of a pencil. However, its technique is different than using a pencil, hence, you need to equip yourself with the knowledge of using it. Whatever it is, any art work requires great deal of patience and determination. Perfection is an indefinite word in art, just sketch, draw, or paint with fervor and passion. Though drawing a cartoon looks simple, you need skill to make the cartoon look 'cute'. Noted poet and filmmaker Sherman Alexie has said, "I think the world is a series of broken dams and floods, and my cartoons are tiny little lifeboats." Do not aim for an immaculate drawing at the first go, and practice until you get the desired picture.